How Food Addiction Works (And What to Do About It)

If you’ve ever tried to cut back on junk food, you may have realized that it’s easier said than done.

People tend to get cravings when the brain starts calling for these foods.

Even though people’s rational, conscious mind “knows” that they are unhealthy, some other part of the brain seems to disagree.

Some people don’t have this problem and can easily control the types of foods they eat, while others don’t seem to have any control whatsoever.

If you are one of these people, despite your best intentions, you may repeatedly find yourself eating unhealthy foods, even when you have previously decided not to eat them.

Though you might think this is caused by a lack of willpower, the situation can be much more complicated than that.

The fact is junk foods stimulate the reward system in the brain in the same way as abusive drugs like cocaine.

For susceptible people, eating junk foods can lead to full-blown addiction, which shares the same biological basis as addiction to abusive drugs (1).

How Does Food Addiction Work?

There is a system in your brain called the reward system.

This system was designed to “reward” you when doing things that encourage your survival. This includes primal behaviors like eating (2).

The brain knows that when you eat, you’re doing something “right,” and it releases a bunch of feel-good chemicals in the reward system.

These chemicals include the neurotransmitter dopamine, which your brain interprets as pleasure. The brain is hardwired to seek out behaviors that release dopamine in the reward system.

The problem with modern junk foods is that they can cause a reward that is way more powerful than anything you can get from whole foods (3).

Whereas eating an apple or piece of steak might cause a moderate release of dopamine, eating a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is so incredibly rewarding that it releases a massive amount.

SUMMARY Eating junk food causes a release of dopamine in the brain. This reward encourages susceptible individuals to eat more unhealthy foods.

This Can Lead to Tolerance and Withdrawal — the Hallmarks of Physical Addiction

When you repeatedly do something that releases dopamine in the reward system, such as smoking a cigarette or eating a Snickers bar, your dopamine receptors can start to down-regulate.

When the brain sees that the amount of dopamine is too high, it begins removing dopamine receptors to keep things balanced.

When you have fewer receptors, you need more dopamine to reach the same effect, which causes people to start eating more junk food to reach the same level of reward as before. This is called tolerance.

If you have fewer dopamine receptors, you will have very little dopamine activity and start to feel unhappy when you don’t get your junk food “fix.” This is called withdrawal.

Tolerance and withdrawal are the hallmarks of physical addiction.

Multiple studies in rats show that they can become physically addicted to junk food in the same way that they become addicted to abusive drugs (4).

Of course, all of this is a drastic oversimplification, but this is basically how food addiction (and any addiction) works.

This can lead to various characteristic effects on behavior and thought patterns.

SUMMARY Frequent consumption of junk food may lead to dopamine tolerance. This means that you will have to eat even more junk food to avoid going into withdrawal.

Cravings Are a Key Feature of Addiction

A craving is an emotional state, a desire to consume a certain food. It should not be confused with simple hunger, which is different.

Cravings sometimes seem to appear out of thin air.

You might be doing mundane things like watching your favorite TV show, walking the dog or reading. Then suddenly a craving for something like ice cream appears.

Even though the cravings sometimes seem to come out of nowhere, they can also be turned on by certain triggers, known as cues.

These cues can be as simple as walking past an ice cream parlor or smelling a pizza.

But they can also be turned on by certain emotional states, such as feeling depressed or lonely, a behavior known as emotional eating.

A true craving is about satisfying the brain’s need for dopamine. It has nothing to with the body’s need for energy or nourishment.

This Can Lead to Complicated, Addict-Like Behaviors

Over time, food addiction can cause severe physical and psychological problems.

Many people who have been struggling with food addiction for a long time keep their eating habits a secret. They can also suffer from depression and have a severely broken self-esteem.

This is compounded by the fact that most people don’t even realize that they’re addicted to food and simply think that they’re weak and undisciplined.

SUMMARY People experiencing food addiction often hide their behavior from friends and family. Depression and low self-esteem seem to play a role.

What to Do About it?

Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to addiction. There is no supplement, mental trick or magical remedy out there.

While some people may need to learn how to control their consumption, it may be best for others to avoid these foods completely. If you struggle with food addiction, it may be best to seek professional help.

Psychiatrists and psychologists can help. There are also organizations like OA (Overeaters Anonymous), which anyone can join for free.

Binge eating disorder, which is associated with food addiction, is currently classified as an eating disorder in the DSM-V, the official manual that mental health professionals use to define mental disorders.

You can find some more info about food addiction treatment on this page.

The above article is courtesy of My EZ Health Guide and is intended for informational purposes only.

I wish there was a diet, I could follow that gave me 3 meals a day. I struggle with what to eat each day. Any suggestions? I tried Keto but just didn’t know what to eat and I can’t afford to pay for them to send me a book.

Hi Lori! I completely understand! A diet plan that spells out everything for us is very appealing. The challenge though, is that not every person likes all of the items on a prescribed diet and then we often aren’t sure how to navigate changes to the meal plan.
Another thought is, after the diet is over we often return to normal eating patterns. Therefore, a long-term
approach, encouraging small, permanent changes is often the guidance that most medical professionals endorse.

We do advise you check with your physician to see what’s best for you before starting any diet or exercise regimen.
You can also reach out to our Health Coaches by calling (855)498-4643 or emailing coaches@thePHMP.com.

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